Preserving against decay particles of materials suspended in lower atmosphere



Patented Sept. 4, 1962 This invention relates to a method of preserving against decay of particles of material suspended in the lower atmosphere.

The desirability of using a cloud of metallic potassium particles (from which solar radiation knocks an electron off each atom) to form an ion patch for reflecting highfrequency radio Waves for long-range communication was shown in Work done by the present applicant and reported in Operation Smoke Puff, Michael Gladych, Popular Mechanics, 1958, p. 115. Other work with respect to artificial electron clouds was reported, in articles by applicant and his associates L. M. Aschenbrand and J. Pressman, in Planet. Space Sci., Pergamon Press (Great Britain) v. 1, pp. 227-237; 291-305; 306-318; and v. 2, pp. 17-25 (all 1959). A problem, however, has existed in preserving the lift of particles, such as metallic sodium or potassium or cesium (which are oxygen-reactive), and electrons (which are subject to decap processes of attachment and recombination), all of which were mentioned in said articles, for a substantial period of time. In the upper atmosphere, at heights above 100 kilometers, the problem is dispersion owing to the high vacuum there found. At lower altitudes however, in what I herein refer to as the lower atmosphere, the short lift has been owing to reaction with the oxygen in said atmosphere and the electron decay processes above referred to.

Substantially greater longevity may be given to electrons and units of oxygen-reactive material generally, whether in gaseous form or suspended as particles of solids or liquids, in the lower atmosphere, by discharging a body of an inert gas, such as nitrogen or argon, for example, to flush oxygen from the area and surround the particles (atoms and electrons) to protect them from oxygen (which considerably accelerates electron decay processes) in the surrounding lower atmosphere.

My new process is of utility not only in giving longer life to clouds of particles reflective to high-frequency radio waves, but also in preserving particles in other contexts, such as sky-writing and unconfined chemical reactions.

Both the body of oxygen-inert material and the units of oxygen-sensitive material (electrons and reactive atoms) may be placed in the lower atmosphere by any suitable means. Use of rockets to place the oxygensensitive units in position is discussed in said articles. A bomb-like unit firing in two stages may be used to practice the present invention, the first stage releasing an inert gas to flush the atmosphere and provide chemical insulation, and the second stage releasing the oxygen-sensitive units. Each ingredient may suitably be placed in a separate container, each with separate accurate timer, set to fire the second stage (explode the container for material releasing the sensitive units) a predetermined very short period of time, for example 1 second, after the firing or exploding of the container for the non-reactive material.

Or, the two materials may suitably be released on two or more successive passes of an airplane, first releasing the inert gas and thereafter flying therethrough to release the material providing the sensitive units.

A particularly useful application of the invention is in skywriting, in which use of metallic particles such as sodium, lithium, potassium, calcium, or barium can produce, when activated by powerful search lights or even the rays of the sun (as below the horizon from a grounds-eye view), skywriting in beautiful colors of red, green, yellow, or so on, depending on the resonance lines of the metal used. To give the particles duration of useful amount, they may be discharged from a flying airplane through a central nozzle, while simultaneously discharging through a second nozzle, annular around the first or central nozzle, a stream of inert gas. Said second nozzle is preferably slightly farther extended rearwardly than said central nozzle, to improve still further insulative qualities of the inert body.

As a first example, an Aerobee rocket containing two stainless steel canisters filled respectively with 50 pounds of argon; and 20 pounds of cesium nitrate mixed with 8 pounds of aluminum granules of about micron size may be fired. At a height of 50 miles, both canisters are ejected by a timer-squib arrangement, and the canister of argon is exploded. One second later the canister of cesium nitrate and aluminum is exploded. A cloud reflective of high-frequency radio waves and preserved against decay by a surrounding cloud of argon results, com-posed of metallic cesium and the reflective electrons, formed both by the heat of the reaction with aluminum and by the suns action on cesium atoms formed thereby.

As a second example, an airplane having a central nozzle and a coaxial annular surrounding nozzle rearwardly extending past the central nozzle discharges nitrogen through the outer nozzle and sodium vapor formed by reacting sodium nitrate with metallic aluminum through the central nozzle at a height of 20 miles. Light from a setting sun acts on the metallic particles of sodium vapor to give a striking flame-colored skywriting trace. A green trace may be obtained by releasing barium particles through the central nozzle; red by releasing strontium, and so on.

Other embodiments of the invention within the scope of the following claims will occur to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A method of skywriting which comprises releasing simultaneously a pair of coaxial streams of materials, said streams comprising an outer first stream annular in cross-section of an oxygen-inert material and an inner, signal-giving stream of oxygen-reactive material surrounded by said first stream and protected thereby from reaction with the oxygen of said lower atmosphere.

2. The method of claim 1 in which said signal-giving stream is made up of particles of a metal, whereby when light energy impinges thereon, said stream gives olf a signal of color characteristic of the particular said metal.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,793,719 Reader Feb. 24, 1931 2,364,199 Derr Dec. 5, 1944 2,714,760 Boam Aug. 9, 1955 2,960,594 Thorpe Nov. 15, 1960 

1. A METHOD OF SKYWRITING WHICH COMPRISES RELEASING SIMULTANEOUSLY A PAIR OF COAXIAL STREAMS OF MATERIAL, SAID STREAM COMPRISING AN OUTER FIRST STREAM ANNULAR IN CROSS-SECTION OF AN OXYGEN-INERT MATERIAL AND AN INNER, SIGNAL-GIVING STREAM OF OXYGEN-REACTIVE MATERIAL SURROUNDED BY SAID FIRST STREAM AND PROTECTED THEREBY FROM REACTION WITH THE OXYGEN OF SAID LOWER ATMOSPHERE. 